Overwhelming Dining Room is Overwhelming!

Dear Nony,

I'll be honest. I haven't been checking your most recent postings lately. I've been reading through your Year One in E-Book Form, and listening to your podcasts while getting my daily step count, but new stuff? It's just going to have to wait until I get caught up!

Except for your post the other day. You know, the one about tackling an overwhelming task? (Actual title: Working Through The Feeling of Being Overwhelmed) I even commented on the Facebook post about it (and you liked my comment! Squee!!!!). Here's a little more background about WHY I was looking at your Facebook page, and why your "Overwhelmed" blog post was so timely.

Impromptu Nightstand

Dear Nony,

My house is a mess. Clutter everywhere, too full of stuff to clean properly... I have been making great progress in keeping the kitchen tidy, thanks to my non-negotiables of doing the dishes and sweeping. I'm still not doing either task daily, but it's so much better than it was before! And then I got rid of a lot of furniture!

What Have I Done???

Dear Nony,

I'm sure you'll understand this, and I hope you'll be proud of this step I'm taking. I have decluttered furniture!

Thinky Thoughts On Why I'm Glad To Be A Slob

Clipart.co

Dear Nony,

The other night, I was just so full of thinky thoughts that I couldn't help but comment on your Facebook page:

I'm listening to your podcasts for inspiration while I sweep, clean the dishes, fold laundry, and move my clutter. (I'm in emergency mode to clear out one bedroom, so by necessity I need to make a bigger mess in another room...sigh.) The point is, I listened to 7 and 8...and I'm going to go back and listen again. There were words so deep and profound that I just couldn't process it in just one listening. I think it was how you said that you'll always struggle with this. Believe it or not, I actually find that helpful! It means I don't need to strive to "conquer" this beast, and perfection just ain't going to happen. But struggling? That's something I can identify with! And seeing how far you've come, even though you're still struggling...and seeing how far I've come (even though I'm about to make a huge mess, I've already done more towards the house in the last 2 weeks than the last 2 years!)...I know it sounds like a paradox, but hearing that the struggle never ends actually gives me hope that I can at least get the point where I'm no longer in survival mode. I don't know if I explained it well, and I'll probably do a blog post on this concept this weekend because I'm just floored at how much that one statement has helped my outlook. Like I said, deep thoughts that require another listen, and it just seems so paradoxical but there it is. Can we say "not normal"?

I still feel there's more to say about this, so here is my attempt to sound it out, see if it makes any more sense than just a "gut feeling".

Bless You Nony!

Dear Nony,

You know me, don't you? I just read your early blog post about how you like to write the fun-style post before your daily checklist because, let's face it, writing is fun! But the checklist post? You have to actually, you know, do the work before you can finish the post. And who wants to work when there's writing to be done?

I really hope you're familiar with Phineas and Ferb, otherwise, you might be a little offended by this post. I assure you, no offense is meant!!!

Daily Checklist and Clothing Clean-up

Dear Nony,

Man, have I been busy the last few days! But first, my daily checklist.

Today I:

• Made my bed (which was later unmade by my toddler while I was folding laundry)
• Folded the laundry I washed yesterday
• Put away my clean clothes and the baby's clean clothes
• DH's clean clothes are his responsibility (he has said time and again he will fold his clothes, so it's not like I'm in rebellion or anything :) )
• Toddler's clothes are folded but they need to go upstairs to his room. I have a small pile of things to be taken to his room this evening
• Swept the foyer and kitchen, with toddler's "help"
• Rinsed the used dishes and put them in the dishwasher
• I will run the dishwasher tonight, as it's just about half full
• I also plan on hand-washing the bottles, nipples, and paci's
• Wiped off the coffee table
• Started cleaning the window behind the coffee table
• Started brushing up the fur that's embedded in the carpet under the coffee table

That last bit needs more explanation...

What Change Has Made the Biggest Impact

Dear Nony,

I've been reading through your blog, and every now and again a post just forces me to stop and think for a bit. Your post "What change has made the biggest impact" is one such post. So, I figured I'd stop for a couple of days to really think about this. Do I have an answer?

One In, One Out - Bottle Brushes

Dear Nony,

Oh! When I buy something, it's not enough to think about throwing out the old...I actually have to, you know, throw it out? Huh. Who knew?

Daily Non-Negotiables Plus Beware the Silent Toddler

Dear Nony,

So, um, when you said daily non-negotiables, you meant I have to do them every day? Not just partway done, but all the way done, right? See, I understand this part, I really do. I can totally get how spending just 30 seconds to a minute sweeping every day and five minutes putting the dishes into the dishwasher and another five to ten minutes handwashing the bottles really keeps the jobs from piling up. So if I understand this, how come I have such a hard time doing it?

Progress in the Kitchen

Dear Nony,

I made lots of progress in the kitchen today! DH had cleaned out almost an entire shelf of the pantry last week, and I had about a shelf-worth of bottles and other baby feeding equipment taking up precious counter real estate. So, I asked DH if I could take over the empty shelf. He said YES! (We share kitchen duties, and he does most of the cooking. Any kitchen decisions are made by both of us.)

My First Non-Negotiables

Dear Nony,

So, you remember those ants in my kitchen, right? While I was cleaning them up, I swore to finally, for real this time, dedicate to keeping the sink clean, running the dishwasher when it's full or half-full, and BEFORE I have a full load of dirty dishes waiting for the dishwasher to be cleared out again, and to do the hand-washing at least once a week. I know myself, I'm not going to wash dishes with hot soapy water every night, but once or twice a week seems reasonable. In other words, it sounds like it's time for me to declare my beginning Non-Negotiables.

Something Has To Change

Dear Nony,

You don't know me. We live fairly close, but we've never met. I found you this past summer through a bundle sale on a cleaning site (I think it was through Clean Mama) and what you had to say really resonated with me. Recently I started reading your blog "backwards", although to me it seems I'm reading it forwards. A book is usually best enjoyed when read from beginning to end, so when reading a blog, shouldn't one naturally start at the first post? Or is this just my peculiar brand of "not normal"?

You may not know me, but that doesn't mean you haven't helped me in the short time I've known you.

To anyone else reading, have you met Nony yet? You should definitely check her out at A Slob Comes Clean. Roam around, click a few links, and then go here if you want to read through her blog the way she recommends.